“Trevor has had it in mind for some time that Jake Ball’s skills would be well suited to these conditions so that’s why we’re quite keen to have him available. He’s definitely in the mix for the First Test.

When test cricket gets NAKED!

Streakers love to interrupt a sporting event: running around the pitch, letting it all hang out as the crowd cheers and security vainly tries to grapple them to the ground

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CRICKET Streaker

“We’ve got fantastic physios and doctors who’ve worked a miracle”

England coach Paul Farbrace

“But if Jake’s going to be available he needs to spend that time on the field.

“So we said to the umpires that Alastair Cook’s got a slightly upset stomach – which he has, slightly – but it meant that Bally could get on the field.

“The plan is for him to bowl three spells in the nets and in between be on the field doing his fielding as well.

“The hope is that by the end of the game he will have had good time on his legs, got some overs under his belt and put himself in with a chance of being selected.”

Moeen Ali took two wickets late in Townsville to reduce the hosts to 121-3 after Root’s men piled up 515 in their first innings, thanks mainly to Mark Stoneman (111) Dawid Malan (109) and Joe Roots’s 83.

Tim Paine admitted he was shocked to be recalled to the Aussie squad for the first Test and thought his international career was over.

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper batsman played the last of his four previous Tests against India in 2010 and was one of a series of changes including uncapped pair Cameron Bancroft and Chadd Sayers and a recall for Shaun Marsh.

Paine said: “(I am) a little bit surprised, but very grateful and excited by the opportunity I’ve been given.

“To have this opportunity is amazing. It’s mine to do what I can with it.”